Laurel does not like much frost, so put the plant in a cool, frost-free place (hall, garage).

If there is no frost the plant is best left outside.

Box (Buxus sempervirens)

Watering Water regularly at least twice a week in dry times.
Clipping Clip the plant to keep the shape.
This should be done before there is too much growth as it will be harder to reshape the plant.
Clipping should be done in the growing season, from May and no later than the end of August.

Feeding

Feed the plant every two weeks during the summer,
a liquid feed is a good idea but buy one that does not encourage flowering.
If you see the small pale yellow flowers in the early spring remove them from the plant by nipping them out.
If the plant flowers too much it takes the nutrients from the leaves.

Treatment

Treat the plant for vine weevil the last week in June or the first week in July.
You can use a brand name solution from your local garden centre for this.
Ensure it is one which you mix with water and pour into the planter to saturate the root system
Treat the plant for red spider mite, box is susceptible to this and needs spraying in mid May to prevent infestation over dry summer months.
Again use a mix with water and spray onto the leaves of the plant. The plant will need re-spraying about 10 days after the first spray.
You can buy the brand name for this from your local garden centre.
If you see small white to cream scratch marks on the leaves of your plant spray for spider mite again.
The spider mite eats its way around the leaf by following the vein lines.

Planters

Box is a very forgiving plant and does well in most situations.
It can get tired if left in planters for too long, and we suggest that if it is looking yellow/orange then it would be advisable to increase the size of the planter,
or to root trim the plant.
Root trimming should be done in the dormant season, not in the height of the summer months.
To root trim remove the plant from the planter and cut around the outer fringes of the root to make the rootball smaller,
then replant with some fresh compost and food.

Taxus Baccata (English Yew)

Watering
Yew plants require careful watering, especially in the dry summer months.Care Guide for English Yew (Taxus baccata).
Watering. Yew plants require careful watering, especially in the dry summer months. If your Yew is in planters then regular, small amounts of water help keep the plant healthy.
It also helps to paint the inside of the planter with a copper-oxide based product, such as ‘Spin-Out’, which will extend the time the plant can stay in the same container.
In the ground, Yew requires regular additional water in the first season until the roots have taken. This is often best achieved by installing a ‘Leaky Pipe’ or drip pipe which is easy to just connect to your outdoor tap.
One of the most important things to remember is that Yew does not like to have its roots in standing water, so free drainage is very important. This is achieved by good ground preparation, ensuring any waterlogged ground, or ground prone to flooding, has drainage installed before planting.
Clipping. The timing for clipping Yew is not as crucial as it is for many other plants and it often left until the autumn and winter in situations where there are a lot of other plants to shape. This does not mean you can’t clip it in the spring and summer, quite often if it is clipped in the spring you will need to give it another quick trim in the autumn to remove the second flush of growth.
Feeding. As with Box, Yew appreciates feeding on a regular basis. This is only necessary for the first year of Yew planted in the ground, but necessary always for Yew in planters.
We recommend feeding every three weeks in the growing season with a liquid feed, and a long term maintenance feed of ‘Osmacote’ or similar over the winter months.
Treatment. Yew is particularly susceptible to Vine Weevil and needs treating every year to prevent serious damage. We recommend any chemical treatment you are able to buy from your local Garden Centre. Try to get one which is mixed with water and then used to douse the roots of the plant. It is best to do this treatment in the last week of June and the first week of July (Wimbledon fortnight) when the grubs have just hatched and are busily eating the roots
If your Yew is in planters then regular, small amounts of water help keep the plant healthy.
It also helps to paint the inside of the planter with a copper-oxide based product,
such as ‘Spin-Out’, which will extend the time the plant can stay in the same container.
In the ground, Yew requires regular additional water in the first season until the roots have taken.
This is often best achieved by installing a ‘Leaky Pipe’ or drip pipe which is easy to just connect to your outdoor tap.
One of the most important things to remember is that Yew does not like to have its roots in standing water,
so free drainage is very important. This is achieved by good ground preparation,
ensuring any waterlogged ground, or ground prone to flooding, has drainage installed before planting.

Clipping
The timing for clipping Yew is not as crucial as it is for many other plants and it often left until the autumn
and winter in situations where there are a lot of other plants to shape.
This does not mean you can’t clip it in the spring and summer, quite often if it is clipped
in the spring you will need to give it another quick trim in the autumn to remove the second flush of growth.
Feeding Yew appreciates feeding on a regular basis.
This is only necessary for the first year of Yew planted in the ground, but necessary always for Yew in planters.
We recommend feeding every three weeks in the growing season with a liquid feed,
and a long term maintenance feed of ‘Osmacote’ or similar over the winter months.
Treatment Yew is particularly susceptible to Vine Weevil and needs treating every year
to prevent serious damage. We recommend any chemical treatment you are able to buy from your local Garden Centre.
Try to get one which is mixed with water and then used to douse the roots of the plant.
It is best to do this treatment in the last week of June and the first week of July (Wimbledon fortnight) when the grubs have just hatched and are busily eating the roots